Trolley-pole.



Patented July l7, I900.

c. A. BROWN TRULLEY POLE.

(Application filed Aug. 22, 1899.)

(No Model.)

INVENTDFT'. CHfl/iLES fl BROWN.

B Y 7 W TY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. BROYVN, OF LORAIN, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF'T O ALBERT V. HAGEMAN, OF SAME PLACE.

TROLLEY-POLE.

SPECIFIUATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 654,050, dated July 17, 1906.

Application filed August 22, 1899.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lorain, in the county of Lorain and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley-Poles; and I do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it lb appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in trolley-poles; and the object of the invention is to provide a trolley-pole which when it accidentally leaves or jumps the trolley-wire i 5 will automatically drop to a substantiallyhorizontal position or below a plane where it can possibly strike a guy-wire, but will also be in position and relation to the other parts to be easily and promptly restored to its norzo mal and operative relations.

I am of course aware that in any broad sense the need or demand for some such construotion is not new with me and that numerous devices of possibly more or less practical 2 5 characterhavefroln timetotimeduringrecent years been made and patented for the same purpose and reason; but in allsuch devices, so far as I am aware, the improved mechanism has dealt exclusively with the base of the go trolley-pole, and there has been no attempt hitherto, to the best of myknowledge and belief, to utilize the top of the pole as a medium for automatic operations and relief from danger to the guy-wires.

3 5 My invention therefore consists,essentially,

in a trolley-pole pivotally supported in a position to swing more or less from a vertical toward a horizontal position when released and of releasing mechanism set in motion by the act of leaving the trolley-wire and in which the initial member is at the top of the pole, all substantially as shown and de scribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an elevation of a trolley-pole in longitudinal section and showing the associated parts in plan elevation as they appear when the pole is at work. The dotted lines at the top show the released position of these parts. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the lower part of the pole and Serial No. 728,144. (No model.)

associated parts as they appear when the pole has been released and is down out of service.

A represents a tubular trolley pole, ofwhich the base=section A may be considered a part or continuance.

B is a pedestal or support adapted to be fixed permanently on the top of a car and having posts 1), between the top of which at b the trolley-pole is pivoted. A spring W, as usual, is placed in position to keep the pole normally in working position.

The section A or base of the pole A is shown here as pivoted at about its middle on the support B; but in some instances it might be desired to extend the base-section up considerably farther and to proportionately shorten the upper part of the pole, andhence the relative lengths of these parts do not 76 necessarily enter into present calculations. Having these parts A and B, say, substantially as shown, the pole proper, A, is supported on the base A by means of an arm 0, secured rigidly upon the upper end of the 7 5 base A by means of a collar 0 or its equivalent, and said arm stands outside and parallel to the pole and has an inwardly-projected and preferably forked or divided end 0, in or upon which the pole A is pivoted. At the shoulder or angle of the said arm above is a I stop 0 which limits the drop of the pole, as seen in Fig. 2. These particular or equiva lent constructions may be used.

The lower tubular end of pole A is arranged 85 to swing in directly over the adjacent end of base A, and on this end of the base is a tooth 2, adapted to be engaged by a dog or catch 3 on the head d of the long bolt-rod D, which runs lengthwise through the pole A to its up- 0 per end and is slightly exposed at its upper end to work in conjunction with the trolleywheel arm E. The reverse sides of the tooth 2 and catch 3 are beveled, while their engaging sides are straight, like a ratchet-tooth and 5 pawl, so that the dog will automatically ride into engaging relation when the parts are restored to working position. Here also any equivalent engaging mechanism may be employed.

A collar F, having a lateral arm 4, serving as a pivot-support for the trolley-wheel car- 1o the same time release the dog 3 below and alrier E, is fixed to the top of pole A, and the said trolley-carrier is so pivoted in the arm 4 as to extend across and bear upon the extremity of the bolt-rod D when the trolley is at work. A spiral spring 5 in the trolley-pole around bolt-rod D serves to exert a constant pressure against a shoulder on said pole outward, so that the moment the trolley-wheel G jumps the wire H the bolt will throw the wheel-carrier back against its stop 6 and at low the pole to swing down, as in Fig. 2. Thus the fact of the trolley-wheel being in working relation is used to keep all the other parts in a like relation, and the fact of its leaving such relation or 3' umping the wire, and thus precipitating danger to the guy-wires, is employed to avert the danger, and in the relative arrangement of the springs b and 5 it is found that the spring 5 acts so promptly that it efiects the release of the pole. at its bottom practically before the spring 27 can throw the pole into an upright position. Now in order that the pole may be promptly restored to its engagements and work I connect a cord 9 of a suitable kind with the wheel end of the carrier E and pass the cord thence over the several sheaves 6, 7, and 8, as shown, whereby the bolt D is held down until the trolley is restored to the wire by the usual cord J. Then both cords are released and the parts take care of themselves. It will be noticed that the trolley-wheel lies at the front of the pole outside its axis, while its support or carrier is pivoted on the opposite side.

In the foregoing construction it is clear that everything depends practically on the trolley wheel support or carrier-arm, which is set by engaging the wheel with the trolley wire. This fixes the pole-lock below, making the structure rigid there, and keeps every other part in working position; but the instant the trolley-wheel flies the track everything else is off also and automatically.

The part D is not necessarily a rod, but might be substituted by any mechanism which would operate with a like effect in depressing and releasing the locking-head d.

In practice I substitute the ordinary trolleypole as it is found by one of mine, and mine is so constructed that this can be done, thus utilizing the support B, which may be found on the car.

What I claim isr 1. A trolley-pole and supporting mechanism by which it is adapted to drop down out of reach of the guy-wires, means to release the pole connected directly with the trolleywheel and comprising a rod lengthwise in the pole and an arm pivoted across the end of the pole carryingthe trolley-wheel on the opposite side from its pivot, substantially as described.

2. A pivoted trolley-pole support, the pole pivoted between its ends on said support,

mechanism to lockthe pole in working posi tion, the trolley wheel supporting arm at right angles to the pole, a rod controlled by said arm to disengage the pole and separate cords for the pole and said arm, substantially as described.

3. The trolley-pole and a pivoted support on which it is pivoted near its lower end, a locking-rod centrally through the pole to hold the pole in working position on its support, an arm pivoted at one end at one side of the pole and carrying the wheel on the other side, and a cord to control said arm engaged over the pole-support, substantially as described.

4. The trolley pole and the supporting mechanism therefor, a pivoted arm for the trolley-wheel adapted to swing across the upper end of the pole, a sliding spring-pressed rod engaged by said arm and adapted to lock the pole on its support, a cord connected with said arm and a cord connected with the upper end of the pole, substantially as described 5. The pole-support pivoted between its ends and a dog fixed thereon, in combination with the pole pivoted on said support and a spring-pressed locking-bolt therein to engage said dog and having its upper end exposed in the upper end of the pole, an arm pivoted at one extremity on one side of the end of the pole and carrying the trolley-wheel on the other side and a cord connected with the free end of said arm and extending over the support for the pole at the base thereof, substantially as described,

Witness my hand to the foregoing specifi- Ioo cation this 9th day of August, 1899.

CHARLES A. BROWN.

Witnesses:

G. A. REsEK, B. L. CROSBY. 

